Happy New Year

When the New Year arrived many greetings were exchanged through emails, Facebook, Flickr, blogs and forums that I participate in. People were posting quotes meant to encourage others to think positively, follow their dreams, help others, etc.. There were links to motivational sites. The majority of folks that I communicate with, I've never met face-to-face, don't even know what they look like, and for the most part, only snippets of their lives, given in posts about a bird, hiking, traveling, a hobby, are known to me. This is probably the case with the majority of folks who participate in on-line communication. Yet, we consider our fellow communicators as Friends as soon as we 'meet' them.

I joined Facebook a year ago, mainly to see photos posted by my daughter and relatives, and I've been surprised that all comments in Facebook that I read are very encouraging. The Like button also makes it easy to give fast positive feedback. In forums, as soon as a new person joins everyone is welcoming and continue to give positive thoughts to all posts. In Flickr, many comments about photos are single words - people taking time to send off an encouraging word. Blogs have buttons readers can click to give feedback. I rarely see a negative comment in these communication sites. If there is one, it's part of a chat when opinions are shared.

The news is filled with doom and gloom. Individuals are feeling the weight of money issues, family and personal problems. There are those who are concerned about adults and youth who are continually communicating through instant messaging. There are those who are concerned about society losing face-to-face communication. But if people are communicating often in an atmosphere of sharing, encouragement and support, wouldn't positive thoughts and actions become the norm in everyday life?

And if this is happening worldwide across cultures and races?

So, in this new year, I sent out a positive quote to my Friends.

"Use what talent you possess, the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."
Henry Van Dyke

Happy New Year

Winter Sunrise over Wye Lake,  Watson Lake, YT